Elastic fabric



C. ADAMS.

ELASTIC FABRIC. APPLICATION FILED 050.31.1917.

1L, 3 l 3),,Q87g Patented A11 12, 1919.

Fig.1

ATTORNEYS To all-whom it may concern:

CARL ADAMS, OF EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY.

ELASTIC FABRIC.

. Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug; '12,- 191p.

. Application filed December 31, 1917. Serial No. 209,711.

Be it known that I, CARL ADAMS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of East Rutherford, in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Elastic F abric,-of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to woven textile fab rics, and its ob ect is to provide a new and improved elastic fabric capable ofexpan-- sion and contraction lengthwise without the use of interwoven elastic bands, and which is exceedingly serviceable when manufactured into sweaters, pettrcoats, and outer or undergarments, surgical bandages and other devices. Another ob ect 15 to render cloth- 4 ing made of this fabricexceedingly warm and comfortable and capable of yielding with the'motiops of the body at the sainc time assuring a snug fit and proper hang of the garments.

In order to accomplish the desired result, use is made of interwoven warp threads, weft threads and connecting or-pile warp threads, the said warp threads being crinkled or curled and set to allow the fabric to yield lengthwise, that is, in the-direction of the warp threads. Use is also made of an elastic fabric having two parallel weaves each having crinkled or curled warp threads and weft threads interwoven with the said warp threads, and connecting or pile warp threads extending from one weave to the other and interwoven in each weave with the corresponding weft threads thereof.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this sptx-ification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is an enlarged sectional plan view of the fabric after being woven, the section being on the line 1 1 of Fig. 2

Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the fabric on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional plan view of the fabric after being woven, moistened and set to render the fabric elastic lengthwise;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional of a modified form of the fabric;

Fig. 5 is a sectional side elevation of another modified form of the fabric; and

Fig. 6 is a similar view of another modified form of the fabric.

plan view In producing the elastic fabric two pairallel weaves 10 and 11 are simultaneously. -woven on a suitable loom,

each weave ba ik mg pairs of warp threads 12, l3 and 14, 15, of w 10h the warp threads pair are"excessiv ely twisted in one direction while the warp threads 14 and-15 of the adjacent pair are excessively twistedcin the opposite direction. The warp threads 12, 13, 14 and 15- are interwoven with weft threads 16 and 17 at the 11 and the said weft threads are also interwoven with pairs of connec'tlng warp threads 20, 21 extending; diagonally from one weave to the other to connect the weaves 10 and 11 with each other. The weft threads 16 and 17 11 alternately with the warp threads 12, 13, 14 and 15, two up and two down for a number of picks, and'one up and one down for another number of picks, and the said Weft two. weaves 10 and are interwoven at each weave 10 and 12 and 13'of one threads are interwoven with the pile warp threads one up and one down at the picks at which the warpthreads 12, 13, 14 and 15 are interwoven one upand one down so that each weave is provided with alternately close and loose close and loose woven portions of oneweave woven portions in the other weave. Thus woven portions, and the said the portions ofeach weave at which theconnecting warp threads are interwoven are close woven while the adjacent portions which are free of the connecting warp threads are loosely ,woven. It will also be noticed that a close woven portion of one weave is directly opposite a loose wovenportion of the ot ier weave. two weaves 10 and 11 after being woven can be separated by cutting the connecting warp threads intermediate the two weaves to form a pile, but I prefer to leave the connecting If desired, the

warp threads uncut to provide a fabric formed of two weaves in the manner described and in which the connecting warp threads connect the weaves with each other,

and the warp threads in each weave are ar ranged in pairs, of which the.warp threads of one pair are excessively twisted in one direction and the warp threads in the adjacent pair are excessively twisted i n-the opposite direction.

The fabric woven in the manner described is moistened, preferably by the use of steam, to cause the excessively twisted warp threads in the loosely woven portions 1 one weave through a number are then extended diagonally across to the .pl'eviously explained, and

.a single connecting warp thread 30 or of the weaves to crinkle or curl up, as indicated in Fig. 3, and the fabric is next subjected to a finishing action with a view to set the crinkled or curled warp threads and thus to render the fabric elastic lengthwise. The warp threads in the close woven portions of each weave may crinkle or curl up somewhat during the moistening process although the interwoven connecting warp threads tend to prevent such crinkling or curling up. It is understood that on exerting a lengthwise pull in opposite directions on the ends of the fabric, the crinkled or curled and set warp threads tend to straighten out, and when the pressure is released the warp threads tend to curl ,rp again. By the arrangement described. 'e fabricis rendered highly elastic and is capable toyield lengthwise of the warp threads without-the use of interwoven elastic bands.

It is expressly understood that the pairs of connecting warp threads 20, 21 are preferably interwoven with the weft threads in of picks and other weave and interwoven therein for a number of picks and then returned diagonally to the first weave, and so on throughout the length of the fabric, thus providing alternately close woven and loose woven portions in each weave to permit ready contraction when the fabricis moistened, as

the excessively twisted warp threads are caused to crinkle or curl up.

Instead of arranging two pile warp threads between adjacent warp threads in each weave, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, 31 is located between adjacent warp threads (see Fig. 4) thus providing a less dense fabric, but otherwise the construction is the same as above described.

In the construction disclosed in Fig. 5, the connecting warp threads 40 and 41 after being interwoven for a number of picks (say three) with the weft threads 42 of one weave pass to the other weave to be interwoven with the next following picks with the weft threads 43 of the other weave, and then the connecting warp.threads 40 and 41 extend diagonally across from one weave to the other for a number of picks (say three) and are then interwoven with the corresponding weft threads, as above described.

By this arrangement alternating close and loose wovenportions are provided in each weave and with the close woven portion of the two weaves directly opposite each other and the loose woven portions similarly arranged to facilitate the contraction of the warp threads, as above explained.

As shown in Fig. (3, the pair of connecting warp threads 50 and 51 are each interwoven with the weft threads 52 and 53 for a large a connecting warp,

number of picks in one weave, and then ex tended to the other weave and interwoven therein at the next following pick. Th s fabric is rendered more particularly serviceable with the connecting warp threads cut to provide two separate elastic pile weaves 10 and 11, each for being manufactured i :to garments, bandages or the like, it he. \g

the connecting warp threads crinkle and thus provide the desired elasticity without It isthe use of interwoven elastic bands. understood. that in this case the connecting warp threads are not cut and the two weaves remain united by the excessively twisted, crinkled and set connecting warp threads. From the foregoing it will be seen that the two united weaves are formed of two sets of warp threads of which one set forms a binding 'warp and the other forms and one of these sets of warp threads is xcessively twisted, crinkled and set torend ei" the fabric elastic lengthwise. It is further understoodthatthe con-- necting warp threads form pile warp threads in case the double weave fabric is cut toform two individual pile fabrics.

It will be noticed that the double wea e fabric produced is very stn-viceablc when manufactured into garments as an air space is provided between the two weaves and thus aidsiii keeping the wearer warm, and the garment matcrial can readily expand and contract to snugly lit the wearer and to allow freedonfof the body and limbs thus insuring the utmost comfort.

Having thus dhscribed my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

.1. An elastic two-plymfabric, comprising two weaves each having interwoven warp threads, weftthreads and connecting warp threads, the said warp threads being arranged in pairs and the warp threads of one pair being excessively twisted-in one direction, and the warp threads of the adjacent pair'bei'ng excessively twisted in the op os'ite direction, the said warp threads being crinkled and set to allow the fabric to yield lengthwise.

2. An elastic two-ply fabric, comprising two parallel weaves each having c inkled and set warp threads, onnecting warp threads and \veft'threads interwoven with the said warp threads and com'iecting warp warp threads in the manner setinterwoven with the weft threads at inter- Mama;

vals to form alternating close and loose 'Woven portions in each weave.

3. An elastic fabric, comprising two parallel weaves each having crinkled and set warp threads, connectin warp threads-and weft threads interwoven with the said warp threads and connecting warp threads, the connecting war threads being interwoven with the weft t reads atlintervals to form alternating close and loose woven portions in each weave, the close woven portion of one weave being opposite a loose woven portion of the other weave and vice versa.

4. An elastic fabric, comprising two parallel weaves each having excessively twisted, crinkled and set warp threads, connecting warp threail'sand weft threads, the weft threads bein interwoven with the warp threads of etc weave and being interwoven at intervals'with the said connecting war) threads whereby each weave is provided wit 1 alternating close and loose woven portions.

5. An elastic fabric, comprising two parallel weaves each having excessively twisted, crinkled and set warp threads, connecting, warp threads and weft threads, the weft threads being interwoven with the warp threads of each weave two up and two down for a number of picks and one-upa'nd one down for a next following.number,of picks, and being interwoven at intervals with the said connecting warp threads whereby each weave is provided with alternating close and loose woven portiims.

6. An elastic fabric. comprising two parallel weaves each having excessively twisted,-

crinkled and set warp threads. connecting warp threads and weft threads. the weft threads being interwoven with the warp threads of each weave to form alternate close and loose portions, the said weft threads being interwoven with the-said conneeting warp threads at the. said close woven portions. I

7. An elastic fabric, comprising interwoven warp threads, weft threads and connecting warp threads, the said warp threads being arranged in pairs and the warp threads of one air being excessively twisted in one direction and the warp threads of the adjacent pair being excessively twisted in .the opposite direction, the said warp threads being crinkled and setv to allow the fabric to yield lengthwise, the said connecting warp threads being interwoven at intervals with the said weft threads to form alternating close and loose woven portions in each weave.

8. An elastic fabric, colllpl'ising two pan allel weaves each having interwoven warp threads, Weft threads and connecting warp threads, the warp threads in each weave being arranged in pairs, the warp threads of one pair being excessively twisted in one direction and the warp threads in an adjacent pair being excessively twisted in the. opposlte direction. the said warp threads being crinkled and set to allow the weaves to yield lengtlnvise, the saidi-onnecting warp threads extending diagonally from one weave to the other to connect the weaves with each other and the said connecting warp threads being arranged in pairs interwoven at intervals with the weft threads of each weave to form alternating loose and close -woven portions.

9. An elastic two-ply fabric, comprising two parallel weaves each having two sets of warp threads and weft threads interwoven with the said sets of warp threads, one of the said sets of warp threads formin a binding warp and the other a connecting warp extendimg from one weave to the other, one of the said sets of warp threads having its threads arranged in pairs, the warp threads of one pair beim excessively twisted in one direction and the warp -threads in an ad'acent mir beiin excessive] twisted in the opposite direction, the said pairs of excessively twisted warp threads bein crinkled and set to allow the. weaves to yield lengtlnvise.

e no. ADAMS. 

